Wide Load
by QueerIntellect
Summary: Dave was done being Karofsky, he as done being a bully. So when he sees a bunch of punks picking on a kid with large headphones around his neck, he can't walk away. Dave/Roderick 6x02


**Just a short little drabble I thought of while comparing the similarities of Roderick and Dave... They're both cute...**

**Enjoy! ;-)**

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><p>Dave walked down the familiar halls of his former high school, wincing at the many, many memories of him shoving kids into lockers and bullying everyone. He shook his head, disappointed at his previous self and continued trailing through the school.<p>

He rounded a corner and saw three jocks pinning a rather large boy with headphones around his neck to the wall.

"I'd say drop dead," One of the jocks said cruelly. "but the result would be devastating."

"Yeah," The one beside him snorted. "because you're fat."

"Hey!" Dave called out and rushed over.

"Oh dude." The third said. "It's Karofsky, let's go!"

The three jocks sprinted away, not looking back.

"Oh no." The large boy gasped.

"I can't believe that idiot used devastating in the right context." Dave mumbled and went to see if the other boy was alright.

He froze when he saw the terrified eyes underneath the glasses the boy wore.

"Are you OK?" Dave asked softly.

When the other boy didn't respond, he sighed and held out his hand.

"Dave."

The boy looked at it. "Karofsky."

"I guess you've heard of me." Dave rolled his eyes. "I'm not him any more. I promise."

The boy pushed himself up against the wall, trying to get away from Dave's outstretched hand.

"C'mon, man." Dave smiled. "I promise I won't hurt you."

"Really?" The boy whispered.

"Yes." Dave nodded. "I've grown up now, trust me."

The boy pushed his glasses back up his nose. "Kinda hard when even the biggest bullies in the school are afraid of you."

Dave shrugged. "Bullies are scared of any authoritative figure."

The boy swallowed deeply and took a deep breath before sticking out his hand.

"Roderick."

Dave smiled broadly and took Roderick's hand. "So you're the mysterious voice everyone heard. Blaine thought Rachel was going crazy, but apparently not."

"A-Ah yeah." Roderick smiled briefly. "I-I didn't even realise I was singing so loudly. I don't know how I didn't get kicked out for making so much noise."

Dave huffed lightly. "This is McKinley, dude. Anything goes."

"Including bullying." Roderick muttered angrily.

"Yeah." Dave agreed softly. "Do they... Do they do it often?"

"Not really." Roderick pushed his glasses back up. "But it's escalated since I joined Glee."

Dave grunted. "No surprises there."

"I tried so hard to make people not notice me, but it's hard when you've joined a club that no one likes and am as big as I am." Roderick said sadly.

"I don't see anything wrong with you." Dave said honestly.

"Yeah right." Roderick scoffed.

"Seriously." Dave looked the other boy over. "I can't see a problem."

Roderick scoffed again.

"I mean hey, look at me." Dave smiled. "I'm not skinny, I don't have a six pack, yet I'm still happy with the way I look."

"Yeah," Roderick mumbled. "but you're fit. You might not be skinny, but at least you have muscle."

"That's because a few years ago, someone I thought I was in love with told me that I was a chubby boy who sweats too much and would be bald by the time I was 30." Dave said. "And for months after that, I'd starve myself and push my body way past it's limits."

"Really?" Roderick asked.

Dave nodded. "Don't listen to those asshole jocks, I think you look fantastic."

"It's kinda hard to ignore the jocks when they're constantly picking on me." Roderick grumbled.

"I know it's hard, believe me." Dave smiled sympathetically. "When I was outed I had everyone look at me and judge me and tell me that I was a disgrace to humanity. But, with the help of my family and friends, I managed to overcome the comments and rise above them. I'm now completely at ease with who I am and what I look like. And you should be too, there's nothing wrong with you."

"No offence," Roderick said rudely. "but I don't care about _your_ opinion."

"So why do you care about everyone else's?" Dave countered.

Roderick looked away.

"Look dude," Dave patted Roderick's shoulder. "high school is just a small part of life. There's much more out there, so much good out there. You just have to be strong and wait."

"How long?" Roderick asked sadly.

"Well," Dave drawled and smiled. "you're in Glee right?"

Roderick nodded.

"Then the waiting's over." Dave said simply.

Roderick looked at Dave weirdly.

"The point of Glee, Roderick," Dave explained. "is that it's a place where you can be yourself with no judgement because, everyone there is an outsider and has their own flaws they don't want being shoved back in their face."

"How do you know, you were never in it. Were you?" Roderick asked.

"No," Dave admitted. "not really. But every year, Mr. Schue, the former coach, would throw an assembly to showcase the club and would always state how it was a place for you to be yourself."

Roderick looked unconvinced.

Dave sighed. "Back when I was at school the club consisted of nerds, jocks, cheerleaders, losers, every stereotype you can think of. Half the club used to bully the other half before Glee. And look at them now, they all love each other and would do anything for one another."

Roderick shook his head.

"Dude." Dave said seriously. "You might not make friends for life, but it's at least a place for you to be free from the hell you go through."

"Yeah I know," Roderick muttered. "It's just..."

"Here," Dave reached in his pocket and took out a piece of paper, handing it to Roderick. "this is my number if you ever want to talk. Any time, promise."

Roderick grabbed the paper. "Do you just have hundreds of pieces of paper in you pockets to hand out to strangers?"

Dave chuckled weakly. "I-It was for someone else."

"Well then, here." Roderick tried to hand it back but Dave refused.

"Keep it. You need it more than Kur - I mean," Dave said quickly. "the other guy."

Roderick nodded and smiled.

"I gotta go," Dave said. "call me any time. Or at least talk to Rachel or..."

"Kurt." Roderick provided.

"Yeah." Dave said, gazing into space. "I - Yeah... Bye, Roderick."

"Thanks, Dave." Roderick waved as Dave walked out of sight.

Dave waved back and wandered down the hall, debating whether or not he should head down to the choir room and see -

"No." Dave said to himself and found his way to the exit.

He got into his car when he felt his phone vibrate.

_Hi, just though it'd be fair if you had my number too. And thanks again. _

_- Roderick_

He smiled down at the message and drove out of the school parking lot.


End file.
